Why Is There a Strange Smell Coming from My Furnace?

Your furnace provides your home with warm, comfortable air, but that comfort shouldn’t come with a funny odor. Is there a strange smell coming from your heating system? Rapid Repair Experts has some tips to help you identify the cause of mystery smells this winter in Raleigh.

Burning dust smell in Raleigh

If your furnace hasn’t turned on in awhile, you might notice an odor that most closely resembles burning dust. Your nose isn’t deceiving you- that’s exactly what you’re smelling. When the HVAC system is idle, dust accumulates throughout the ductwork. And when you turn on the heat, that dust gets burned away. This is totally normal and the smell usually subsides within a few hours.

Plastic, metal burning smell coming from furnace

Some odors don’t seem quite as natural as burning dust, and these can be more serious. Have you noticed something that smells like burning metal or plastic? If so, you should turn off your heating system. If the furnace motor blower malfunctions or the HVAC system overheats, rubber, metal and plastic components can burn or melt. This can lead to serious electrical problems within your equipment. Shut down your furnace and call Rapid Repair Experts if you smell burning rubber or metal.

Smell rotten eggs? Take precautions

While some odors can be eliminated with standard HVAC maintenance, others are indicative of larger problems for your home’s safety. Does your furnace use natural gas for fuel? If so, you need to be wary of a rotten eggs smell in your home this winter. Sulfur-like odors are added to natural gas so it’s easy to tell when there’s a leak. If you smell a strong rotten eggs scent, either someone left the eggs out of the fridge for a week, or there’s a gas leak in your home. In this case, turn off the furnace, exit the home, call 911 and then your local utility company to stop the leak.

Not sure what the smell is coming your furnace? Call Rapid Repair Experts today. We’ll find and eliminate the source of the odor so you can enjoy the warmth of your home without pinching your nose this winter!